Burning Egyptian armored personnel carrier
Burning Egyptian armored personnel carrierIDF Spokesperson's Unit

An IDF investigation of the terror attack in southern Israel Sunday night indicates that terrorists were able to blow open a fence on the Gaza border by blowing up 500 kilograms of explosives, that were stored inside a truck. The operation, top IDF officials were quoted as saying by Channel Two, presents a “worrying picture of the intentions of terrorist groups to attack Israel.”

Terrorists who raided an Egyptian base near the Kerem Shalom border crossing, with a border common to Egypt, Israel, and Gaza, stole two vehicles after killing a number of Egyptian soldiers. One of the vehicles – which was loaded with ammunition, according to the Channel Two report – was exploded at the border crossing into Israel. The second vehicle was able to penetrate Israel.

The original plan, according to the Channel Two report, was to use the explosive truck to carry out a major terror attack in an Israeli town near the border. Preceding the truck would have been several suicide bombers, wearing explosive belts.

The truck ended up being used to blow open a hole in the fence, but the plan for the suicide bombers to blow themselves up was still being executed. The suicide bombers entered Israel with the terrorists, who were finally eliminated by the IDF. The investigation showed that the terrorists were riding in the second Egyptian vehicle, an armored jeep. The jeep was able to travel inside Israel for about 15 minutes before being destroyed. Reports from the field said that the Egyptians did not increase their patrols at the border in the aftermath of the attack on the military base.

According to Channel Two, IDF officials received intelligence last Friday than a major border attack was in the works. Israel forwarded the information to Egyptian officials, but they apparently did not act on the information.

A previously unknown group, the Shura Mujahadeen Council, took responsibility for the attack. The group posted a Facebook message praising the attack, and saying that “there is no place in the Arab and Muslim world for liberal and secular democratic values,” and that they were “dedicated to the struggle against Zionism.” The perpetrators are suspected to be Sinai Bedouin.